Dimethyl sulfoxide in the treatment of experimental brain compression

Abstract

✓ Forty rhesus monkeys were subjected to acute experimental head injury by extradural balloon compression of the brain. A critical endpoint in the compression was used to inject either saline, urea, or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). All saline-treated animals died. Ten of 15 urea-treated animals survived, while 14 of 15 DMSO-injected monkeys survived. The incidence of neurological deficits seen in survivors was four for urea and one for DMSO. It is concluded that DMSO is capable of modifying the mortality rate and posttraumatic sequelae of brain injury in the experimental model used.